Lance Franklin will join AFL club Sydney, after Hawthorn confirmed they won’t match the Swans’ offer for the free agent.

The Hawks’ decision removed the last hurdle for Franklin’s move to Sydney, after the AFL approved the Swans’ offer earlier on Tuesday.

Franklin joins the Swans on a nine-year deal worth $10 million.

But the AFL’s approval of the offer came with conditions attached.

They demanded a written guarantee from the Swans board and senior management that they understand the potential salary cap implications if Franklin doesn’t play out the full length of his contract.

That includes an acknowledgment that the specific financial commitment for each year of the nine-season contract will count towards the Swans’ salary cap, even if Franklin is no longer there.

The 26-year-old will be 35 by the time the deal ends.

The Swans’ board will also have to meet with the AFL each year to review how the club are managing their total player payment obligations in regard to the contract.

The AFL also gained assurances from the Swans that they had gained all information needed to properly assess a contract of that length, including medical reviews and long-term financial planning.

AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said those guarantees had been needed given the unprecedented commitment of total player payment funds to a single player over such a long term.

The league also reiterated to the Swans that the 9.8 per cent cost-of-living allowance built into their salary cap, along with that of Greater Western Sydney, was under review and could be removed or varied from 2015 onwards.